Some types of sporting activities, such as, for example, hockey, arena football, soccer, etc., are played on an activity surface or playing field that is surrounded by a wall configured to contain the activity and participants on or near the activity surface or playing field, such as a playing field, hockey rink, skating rink, etc. Containment of the activity can include assisting to keep a ball, puck, or participant in the bounds or confines of the activity surface or playing field or near the bounds or confines of the activity surface or playing field. Participants can include individuals, players of a game, and/or competitors in a match. The wall can also be configured to protect spectators of the activity. Accordingly, the wall can be described as a protective wall, containment wall, sport wall, or other, similar terms.
One application of the sport, protective, or containment wall is in the sport of hockey, in which the wall is sometimes referred to as boards. While the wall can be described in the singular because the wall can extend entirely around a periphery of the activity surface or playing field, such as, for example, an ice rink, the wall can be formed of a plurality of individual segments or units positioned adjacent or alongside each other to form a continuous wall of segments. It should be understood that such wall segments can include entry and exit locations or points, such as doors, and such wall segments may not entirely surround the activity surface or playing field. Some walls can support a translucent or transparent material, for example, glass, or plastic, which serves to shield spectators while also allowing them to observe the playing or activity surface.